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I just purchased a house where they had installed a commercial whole house water filter and softener combination system. However, it is not operational and it looks old enough that it would not be worth having it serviced.

Replacing the system with a combination filter/softener system as the current one is quite expensive (at least to my budget). My idea was to install a separate filter and softener in-line to each other.

I have not tested the water quality yet, but assuming I do need both, my question is this: which one should I place first in-line, the filter or the softener? What are your thoughts on doing this - pros & cons?